Jimmy Lai’s 20-year sentence was handed down on Feb. 9, 2026, after Hong Kong’s High Court convicted the 78-year-old pro-democracy media founder of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and conspiring to publish seditious material.
Reuters and The Associated Press reported the punishment is the longest prison term imposed so far under the Beijing-imposed national security law.
Lai, the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, has been in custody for more than five years. His case has drawn sustained attention from foreign governments and press freedom groups, while Hong Kong and Beijing officials have said the prosecution is about national security and the rule of law, not journalism.
Jimmy Lai 20-year sentence and the court ruling
Jimmy Lai’s 20-year sentence followed convictions on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count related to publishing seditious materials. AP reported the maximum penalty on the national security convictions could have been life in prison.
Judges placed Lai’s case in the harshest penalty tier for offenses of a “grave nature,” and said he was the “mastermind” behind the conspiracies.
In its account, Reuters said the court cited prosecution evidence alleging the conspiracies sought sanctions, blockades and other hostile acts from the United States and other countries, involving a network that included Apple Daily staff, activists and foreigners.
Lai pleaded not guilty, Reuters reported, and told the court he was a “political prisoner.” As he arrived for sentencing, AP reported Lai smiled and waved at supporters, but looked serious as the hearing ended and people in the public gallery cried.
Who else was sentenced in the Apple Daily case
Six former Apple Daily employees and two activists were sentenced on collusion-related charges, with prison terms ranging from 6 years and 3 months to 10 years.
The convicted journalists identified by included publisher Cheung Kim-hung, associate publisher Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Law, executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung, executive editor-in-chief responsible for English news Fung Wai-kong, and editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee.
AP reported the two activists, Andy Li and Chan Tsz-wah, received sentences of 6 years and 3 months and 7 years and 3 months, respectively. AP also reported the co-defendants entered guilty pleas that reduced their sentences, and that some penalties were further lowered after individuals served as prosecution witnesses whose evidence “significantly” contributed to Lai’s conviction.
The sentencing took place under heavy security and public interest. Reuters and AP both reported that supporters lined up outside the court to secure seats inside the courtroom, reflecting the profile of a case that authorities and critics describe in sharply different terms.
Custody, health concerns, and Lai’s other convictions
Lai’s custody history stretches back to the early months of the national security law’s enforcement. Lai was first arrested in August 2020, and later taken into custody after being denied bail on a separate fraud allegation connected to the lease of Next Digital’s headquarters.
Reuters’ timeline also noted Apple Daily’s newsroom was raided in June 2021 and the paper shut down later that month.
The court took account of Lai’s age, health condition and solitary confinement when weighing sentencing, while still concluding he warranted a heavier term as the “mastermind.” AP also reported that the judges ruled 18 years of Lai’s national security sentence should be served consecutively to his separate fraud sentence of 5 years and 9 months.
Health has been a consistent point raised by Lai’s family and supporters. Reuters reported friends and supporters say Lai has diabetes and high blood pressure and should be freed. AP reported that in January, Lai’s lawyer said he had heart palpitations, high blood pressure and diabetes, while prosecutors cited a medical report describing his condition as stable.
The government said Lai’s solitary confinement was at his own request. Reuters reported Hong Kong’s police played down health concerns, and the head of the police force’s national security department, Steve Li, said the concerns had been “exaggerated.”
